Dermatitis From Purified Sea Algae Toxin (Debromoaplysiatoxin)

From the Division of Dermatology, Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation, La Jolla, Calif (Dr Solomon), and the Division of Dermatology, University of California, San Diego (Dr Stoughton). Dr Solomon is now with the Section of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago Hospitals and Clinics.

• Cutaneous inflammation was induced by debromoaplysiatoxin, a purified toxin extracted from Lyngbya majuscula Gomont. This alga causes a seaweed dermatitis that occurs in persons who have swum off the coast of Oahu in Hawaii. By topical application, the toxin was found to produce an irritant pustular folliculitis in humans and to cause a severe cutaneous inflammatory reaction in the rabbit and in hairless mice.